New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has petitioned the federal agency that regulates hazardous materials transport to set limits on the volatility of oil shipped by rail -- a major factor in explosions.
Here are some reports of possible interest to environmental journalists from the Congressional Research Service (CRS). Congress does not release them to the public, but the Union of Concerned Scientists' Government Secrecy Project does.
"Construction work on a controversial canal that would link the Pacific Ocean with the Caribbean via an overland route across Nicaragua and through Central America’s largest lake has been postponed until late 2016, says the company behind the project."
"The Environmental Protection Agency released its much-delayed biofuel mandate on Monday, raising the amounts of biofuel that refiners are required to blend into conventional vehicle fuel from levels proposed in May."
"Waterkeeper Alliance surveyed 250 bridges used by trains carrying volatile crude oil; there are more than 100K in the US".
"A large ship found in deep water off the Bahamas is the lost freighter El Faro that sank with 33 crew members in a hurricane last month, U.S. authorities said on Monday."
"The Environmental Protection Agency said on Monday that it had discovered emissions-cheating software on more Volkswagen and Audi cars than previously disclosed and, for the first time, also found the illegal software in one of the carmaker’s high-end Porsche models."
"Lawmakers have introduced legislation that if passed this week could avoid a potential rail service disruption resulting from a year-end safety deadline few railroads are expected to meet."
"An amateur shipwreck hunter may have stumbled upon one of the greatest threats to the Great Lakes. Federal and local officials have scheduled a news conference Sunday morning to discuss the threat posed by a shipwreck about 15 miles northeast of Lakeside, Ohio.An amateur shipwreck hunter may have stumbled upon one of the greatest threats to the Great Lakes."
"One of the nation’s largest railroads has notified customers that it will stop shipping key chemicals used in water treatment and agriculture on Dec. 1, the latest development in a standoff over a year-end safety deadline few railroads are expected to meet.:
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